Complete Peerage Addition: Bertrade de Montfort, Countess of Chester (died 1227)
Douglas Richardson
Complete Peerage, 3 (1913): 167 (sub Chester) has a rather brief
account of the life of Hugh, 6th Earl of Chester (died 1181).
Regarding the history of his widow, Bertrade of Montfort, the
following scant detail is given:
"His widow died 1227, aged about 71." END OF QUOTE.
The source given by Complete Peerage for Bertrade de Montfort's death
date is Annales Cestrienses,edited 1887, by R.C. Christie. As we can
see, no month or day are given for the countess' death.
While I'm virtually certain that Google Books previously had a full
view copy of this source available online, when I checked just now, I
only found copies of this work that had "no preview." As such, I'm
unable to see exactly what Annales Cestrienses says about the death of
Countess Bertrade.
Checking various other sources, however, I've managed to piece
together a few details of Countess Bertrade's life as widow not
provided by Complete Peerage:
Sometime in the period, 1188–99, she witnessed a charter of her son,
Ranulph, Earl of Chester. In the period, 1190–1200, she reached
agreement with the abbot and convent of Troarn in Normandy regarding
the construction of a mill and fishpond on the boundary between her
wood and theirs. Sometime before 1194–1203, she exchanged lands with
the canons of Repton. Sometime in the period, 1200–10, she granted to
Ralph Carbonel, of Halton, Lincolnshire, for his homage and service of
half a knight’s fee which he held of the said countess in Halton. In
1223 Richard Duket and Simon de Sees brought a plea of novel disseisin
against her touching a tenement in Harmston, Lincolnshire. In 1226
she presented to the church of Waddington, Lincolnshire. In 1227 she
arraigned an assize of last presentation to the church of Waddington,
Lincolnshire against the abbot of St. Sever.
The last item comes from Farrer, Honors & Knights’ Fees, 2 (1924):
103, which may be seen in snippet view at the following weblink:
The original source for this record is Calendar of the Patent Rolls,
1225–1232 (1903): 156, which may be viewed at the following weblink:
http://sdrc.lib.uiowa.edu/patentrolls/h3v2/body/Henry3vol2page0156.pdf
The item in question is dated 31 March 1227. Since the record
indicates that Countess Bertrade was then alive, it may be assumed she
died in 1227, sometime after 31 March.
Best always, Douglas Richardson, Salt Lake City, Utah
John
> Dear Newsgroup ~
>
> Complete Peerage, 3 (1913): 167 (sub Chester) has a rather brief
> account of the life of Hugh, 6th Earl of Chester (died 1181).
> Regarding the history of his widow, Bertrade of Montfort, the
> following scant detail is given:
>
> "His widow died 1227, aged about 71." END OF QUOTE.
>
> The source given by Complete Peerage for Bertrade de Montfort's death
> date is Annales Cestrienses,edited 1887, by R.C. Christie. As we can
> see, no month or day are given for the countess' death.
>
> While I'm virtually certain that Google Books previously had a full
> view copy of this source available online, when I checked just now, I
> only found copies of this work that had "no preview." As such, I'm
> unable to see exactly what Annales Cestrienses says about the death of
> Countess Bertrade.
>
copy of Annales Cestrienses is available. The entry for the death of
Countess Bertrada [sic] is on p. 55 (not 54 as indicated in the book's
index). But all it says is that she died in 1227, giving no more
specific date. So, it supports the information in CP but goes no
further.
The Hoorn
taf
> indicates that Countess Bertrade was then alive, it may be assumed she
> died in 1227, sometime after 31 March.
> Available here:
>
> http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=67180
Given that this source is using a 25 March new-years, in learning that
she lived as of 31 March, a whole 6 days have been knocked off the
year-long range.
taf
Peter Stewart
No, it hasn't - we only learn from this source that on 31 March 1227 in
Westminster the court supposed that Bertrada was living, but for all we
know she could have died elsewhere six days earlier.
By the way, the date 12 July for this Bertrada is rather suspiciously
coincidental, since this was the date of Charlemagne's mother Bertrada's
death according to the Frankish royal annals and the obituary of
Argenteuil (misprinted as 12 June, with no reference given, in Christian
Settipani's book).
Peter Stewart